Williams-Sonoma Collection: Soup

Williams-Sonoma, purveyor of choice gourmet products and kitchenware, has also created a collection of succinct yet comprehensive cookbooks. Part of the series, Soup offers 40 all-occasion recipes that reflect the company's signature good taste. Well-chosen formulas for what is surely the world's most satisfying food include classics like Chicken Noodle Soup, Shrimp Bisque, and French Onion Soup; simple soups like Garlic Stracciatella; and dinner-party specialties such as Three-Mushroom Soup with Sherry. Recipes for summer and winter soups like Curried Corn Soup and White Bean, Pasta and Swiss Chard Soup take advantage of seasonal bounty, while a concluding section entirely devoted to chicken soups such as Tortilla Soup with Chicken and Avocado gives readers more of soup in its most comforting form.

Accompanied by color photos that show the soups in all their glory, the global recipes are completely doable, and should appeal to a wide range of cooks. Throughout, sidebars (like "Garlic Croutons") offer useful information on techniques and ingredients; a glossary and basics section are also helpful. Though small in size, the book provides an inclusive store of superior recipes and instruction. --Arthur Boehm